Oklahoma State University recently held its inaugural Cattlewoman’s Boot Camp. The three-day event aimed to create an informative and engaging learning experience for female producers covering various methods on how to manage the production, financial, and market risks when operating a beef cow/calf operation.
The boot camp combined traditional educational programming with hands-on demonstrations and activities and classroom exercises. Topics that were covered included:
- Cattle Evaluation
- Calf Management
- Herd Nutrition
- Hay Evaluation
- Forage Production
- Marketing
- Production and Financial Records
- Farm Transitions
- General Management Practices
- Farm Business Planning
- Herd Health and Vaccinations
- Facility Management and Selection
- Reproduction Management
- Calving Management
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Southern Extension Risk Management Education, Oklahoma Cattlewomen’s Association, Oklahoma Women in Agriculture, and Oklahoma Women Veterans Program partnered with the university to host the event at the Grady County Fairgrounds in Chickasha, Oklahoma. Fifty women ranchers participated in the event.
“It’s important that we recognize the role women have on the ranch,” said Donna Patterson OSU Extension director. “A lot of the time, women will say their husbands do a lot of the work, but they are vital to the operation. We need to empower women in the ranching business.” Patterson earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a master’s degree in animal nutrition from Oklahoma State University.
A video about the event may be viewed below.